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September 18, 2004

Knickers & Dimples

Michelle, from lovely Rotterdam...

Am meeting Oh Patient One shortly in quest to become semi-real persons, i.e., we're heading to cell phone shop in order to throw lots of EEE (Euros) at salesperson and hopefully purchase international cell phone, so this is a quick one! (Will keep you posted on cell phone situation and semi-real person status quo--but at least the mail man is delivering my mail, yay!).

Read on for Knickers and Dimples...

NB. Knickers = Panties!

Purchase of the week is 5 pairs of knickers from H&M at BARGAIN price of 27 Euro cents per pair (apx 30 US cents). It's true! Big sale situation! (But not big knickers, of course!)

Picture this: I arrive at cash desk in order to pay. I am totally confident I can do this in Dutch. Simple transaction, therefore good opportunity to practice language skills. Yay for me! Here is my conversation with the assistant:

Assistant: E 1, 35 alstublieft (one Euro 35, please).
Me (handing money to assistant): alstublieft (here you go!)
Assistant: Dank u wel (thank you).

All going brilliantly so far! Assistant packs up my knickers, hands me my change and then...totally deviates from script!

Assistant: een rib out je lijf!
Me: um, pardon? (but in a Dutch accent, obviously)
Assistant: Oh, you're English!
Me (with sheepish grin on face): um, yes (not in a Dutch accent).
Assistant: I was just saying that this is a great bargain--in Holland we say "a rib out of your life" which means that this is a great bargain!
Me: Um, thank you!

Favorite new shopping phrase: een rib out je lijf! Am nearly multilingual!

Moving swiftly on...

Dimples = favorite new bar in Rotterdam, and nothing at all to do with cellulite!

Favorite new friends and bar owners = Jef (pronounced Yef because he is Dutch) and Dan (pronounced Dan because he is English). Lovely, lovely people! In fact, if you want to see them and find out more about the bar, just go here: http://www.dimples.nl/english/index2_uk.htm

Jef and Dan are teaching me vital Dutch phrases to help further improve multilingual situation so can truly become International Chick of Mystery--yay!

Favorite new phrase in Dimples: een glasje wijn, alstublieft = a glass of wine, please!

Favorite other new phrase in Dimples: nog een en dan gann we heen = just one more drink then we're going!

Tot Ziens for now!

Michelle

Posted by Michelle at 8:54 AM